Blog / Food
Vegan protein without soy or gluten
Take tofu, tempeh and seitan off the table and you lose the three easiest plant proteins. You can still hit your number. Lentils, beans, peas, hemp and pea protein do the work, and the servings get a little bigger.
The number stays the same
Roughly one and a half to two grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight a day, split across three or four meals. Where that comes from. Without soy and gluten it takes a little more planning, not a different target.
Everything here is vegan, soy-free and gluten-free. If you have coeliac disease, buy oats and packaged foods labelled certified gluten-free, and always check the label.
Where it comes from
Lentils are the backbone: about eighteen grams in a cooked cup. Chickpeas and black beans give about fifteen. Green peas, around eight. Three tablespoons of hemp seeds add about ten, and a handful of pumpkin seeds about eight.
Quinoa and buckwheat, both gluten-free, carry a little more protein than rice and are worth swapping in.
Pea protein is your shortcut
Pea is one of the stronger plant proteins, and a plain pea protein powder is the single easiest way to close the gap. Stir a scoop into porridge, a smoothie or a glass of pea milk. Check the label for grams per scoop.
Watch the hidden soy and gluten
Soy sauce contains both soy and wheat, and tamari is still soy; coconut aminos is the swap. Many vegan meat alternatives are built on soy or wheat gluten. Plenty of packaged foods carry soy lecithin. Read the label every time you try something new.
Spread it out
Three or four meals with a solid serving each beats one huge dinner. Breakfast is where most people fall short.
